Back in the original version of FFXIV (version 1.0) players did gain a different companion called a 'Path Companion' as part of the main scenario who was a member of the player races that would show up for specific story fights alongside the player and even have their own dialogue during cutscenes (the lore was that they were a fellow Echo-awaken adventurer that Minfilia assigned to you when you joined the Path of the Twelve). Unfortunately they seem to have been abandoned sadly in ARR in favour of the chocobo companion, and there is no indication that system will be expanded or the Path Companions returning (given the Path Companions were part of the Path of the Twelve, an organization that doesn't even exist anymore as it became the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, they're rather superfluous story wise anyway).

Having said that, the new Grand Company Squadron seems to be a sort-of replacement in that you can now take your squadron into selected dungeons as other party members, but it still needs a lot of tweaking due to the AI being rather... stupid.. to say the least (they tend to rather idiotic things that tend lead to wipes, it's why I've dressed my squadron in starting armour/weapons and Onion Helms, if they're going to act like noobs they can damn well dress that way! ).

But yeah, I'd still love to see the Path Companions return somehow - I miss my sultry bisexual Moonkeeper kittygirl Imarah and her constant innuendos towards my character.